Men get breast cancer too
Everyone has breast tissue. Breast cancer in men is uncommon, but it is not rare enough to ignore — and it is too often found late.
1 in 755
average lifetime risk for men in the U.S., per the American Cancer Society
60–70
the usual age range at diagnosis
What to look for
The most common sign is a painless lump or thickening in the breast, chest or underarm. It may be tender but usually isn't. Any change to the chest or nipple is worth checking — dimpling or puckering of the skin, redness or scaling, a nipple turning inward, or discharge.
Who is at higher risk
- A family history of breast cancer, in male or female relatives
- An inherited BRCA2 change, and to a lesser degree BRCA1
- Klinefelter syndrome
- Previous radiation to the chest
- Heavy alcohol use, or liver disease
Most men diagnosed have no known risk factor beyond getting older. That's exactly why the advice is the same as it is for women: know what's normal for you, and get a change looked at rather than waiting to see if it settles.
Sources: American Cancer Society; ACS risk factors.